Charlotte Planning Staff held a public meeting last Thursday evening to present recommended changes to the Pedestrian Overlay (PED) for the Midtown-Morehead-Cherry District. The recommendations came as a response to additional concerns raised by reisdents of the Dilworth Neighborhood, following a January meeting in which proposed changes to building height limits were ruled out by staff. The newly proposed changes included more restrictive design standards as well as an increase in the multifamily parking ratio.

Specifically, four amendments were presented and would apply to structures exceeding 200 feet in length:

Façade variations would be required to separating units in multifamily developments;

‘Modulation’ would be required for 20 percent of all building frontage located adjacent to a public street. This would be achieved by creating a building recession of 25 feet or greater from the setback line and would extend the full height of the building.

For buildings of four stories or more, the architectural base (not to exceed two stories) would need to be distinguishable from the rest of the structure.

The multifamily parking ratio would increase from 1.0 parking places per unit to 1.25 per unit.

The PED was first approved in 1999 and has been utilized in numerous areas of the City to promote walkable, mixed-use development. In exchange for its higher-density by-right zoning, developers are required to meet enhanced building design standards and construct a pedestrian-friendly streetscape. We are not aware of any other circumstance where the PED has been changed since its implementation nearly 15 years ago.

It is REBIC’s position that any changes to the PED would adversely impact those investors who purchased sites in the Midtown-Morehead-Cherry district with the expectation they could exercise the development rights provided by the Overlay District. Altering those rights to appease a vocal neighborhood group would produce citywide economic uncertainty, deter real estate investment in Charlotte, and have lasting consequences for economic development and property values.

A public hearing will be held in April, and REBIC will continue to convey our objections to City staff and members of Council.